Coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world. However, getting that good night of sleep after a lovely cup of coffee an umpteenth amount of time a day, is pretty much impossible for most coffee drinkers.
Caffeine causes restlessness, anxiety and insomnia in many, which makes them want to switch back from coffee to beverages lower in caffeine. An excellent alternative to coffee is ‘Decaf’ or the Decaffeinated Coffee. It is just as much of a coffee excluding the health risks with the same nutritional values and the same brilliant taste
Table of Contents
What Is Decaf Coffee?
Decaffeinated Coffee or decaf, is a form of coffee derived from the beans which have had their caffeine removed up to at least 97%. Coffee contains many different chemicals that blend in together to give out that fresh aroma and taste of coffee.
Getting rid of such chemicals can alter the essence of coffee. However, methods that are now exercised can deliver a cup of decaf coffee as good as a well brewed cup of caffeinated coffee.
The procedures that are carried out use organic solvents, water or carbon dioxide. After the process of decaffeination, they are roasted and grounded. The process of decaffeination only takes away the caffeine content, hence the nutritional value remains indistinguishable from regular coffee.
How Is Decaf Coffee Different From Regular Coffee?
Excessive Caffeine overwhelm certain people causing more anxiety and restlessness while tackling with their day to day activities, trigger insomnia and high heart rate. People who are susceptible to caffeine should switch to decaf or maybe tea.
Decaf is also a great option for people who have a caffeine restrictive diet and hence cannot consume regular coffee. People who already suffer from restlessness and insomnia should avoid regular coffee and maybe switch to decaf.
Pregnant, breastfeeding women and children should also stick to decaf during those coffee cravings.
Why Decafe Coffee?
The FDA recommended that adults should limit their caffeine consumption to no more than 400mg per day. Decaf coffee having significantly lesser caffeine, can replace regular coffee. Additionally, decaf has many health benefits including:
1. Reduced symptoms of heartburn and rectal cancer- Since, Decaf has lesser caffeine, it would have lower acid reflux, further lowering acidity.
2. Reduces aging and improves mental health- It is observed that prolonged use of decaf reducing aging. As research shows that decaf coffee may protect neurons in the brain, it will have a positive affect on mental health decline.
3. Lowers risks of caffeine related diseases- Since, decaf is lower in caffeine, the health risks associated with caffeine is eradicated.
Taking into account all the benefits of Decaf coffee, let’s take a look at few of the best decaf options available in the market and overall rank them accordingly
Top 10 Best Decaf Coffee for You!
Lets check the features, specifications, and pros&cons of each of Decaf Coffee listed above in detail.
10. Fresh Roasted Decaf Coffee
The freshest coffee beans using one of the most advanced technology, by eliminating their carbon emissions by up to 80% in a smokeless coffee roasting environment. Their loading smart roaster uses cutting edge frosting technology to not only eliminate carbon emissions but overall enhance coffee bean flavor. The fresh roasted coffee process reaches completion when you truly taste a coffee’s origin and nothing extra.
Features:
- Roast Body : Bold
- Specialty: Organic
- Method incorporated: Colombian Swiss Water Decaf Coffee is a perfect choice for decaf drinkers who want a full-bodied, flavorful cup of coffee. Decaffeinated using the chemical-free swiss water process. Caturra Varietals. Grown at 1500-1700 meters ASL. Wash processed. Medium roast.
- Coffee for a good health- Sustainably sourced and proudly roasted, blended and packaged in USA in environment friendly roaster
- Uses Swiss water method and hence not much chemical interaction.
- Sustainable and eco-friendly roasters.
- Metallic aftertaste.
- Beans tend to get dry after a while.
Summary
Available in Whole bean as 2lb and 5lb bags. Pack of three 12oz bags available as whole bean or pre-grounded.
9. Kirkland Signature Decaf Coffee
The Kirkland signature is regarded by many people as one of the best decaf coffee brands onmthe market. Indeed, this decaf coffee is finely ground so you will not have to use a coffee grinder with it.
If one has to prepare an instant coffee, like americano then this is an excellent decaf coffee to get. It requires less maneuver and faster delivery of a cup of coffee.
Features:
- Bean used: Kirkland signature Decaf coffee uses 100% Arabica
- Roast Level: Dark Roast coffee
- Ground: Fine Grind
- Product information: Cuisine-African American and weighs about 3lb,
- Decaffeinated house blend, 100% high quality arabica coffee beans.
- Best Decaf Coffee pods.
- Don’t need a coffee grinder, as it is pre-fine grind.
- Great for an instant cup of coffee.
- The brand uses an organic solvent, hence chances of more chemical interaction.
- On the higher side of the price range. ($23.99)
Summary
The product is weighs 48 ounces, dark flavored and fresh grounds, fills the cup with intoxicating aroma and taste. Find it here:
8. Stone Street Decaf Coffee
Being one of the best brands across the states, based in NYC, it will roast and pack whole decaf coffee beans as soon as possible, while ensuring that one gets the freshest and highest quality decaf coffee beans in the market.
Additionally, the roasting is quite unique as it is roasted in small batches so as to further ensure on the freshness of the coffee. One distinctive feature of the Stone Street decaf coffee is the fruity flavor that will somehow remind one of the organic coffees with caffeine.
Features:
- Roast level: Medium roast
- 100% Rain forest alliance RFA certified.
- Bean origin: Central American 100%
- Specialty: Organic coffee
- Swiss water decaf: 100% Chemical free and eco-friendly decaffeination process.
- Tasting notes: Medium roasted, rich, full flavored cup with modest body and a clean fresh aroma. Smooth with low acidity. Well balanced brew that does not taste like decaf.
- Fresh specialty: small batch roasted coffee, that only roast in small batches using state-of -the-art equipment, so that they develop the flavor profile and unique coffee beans.
- Direct sourcing relationship: They source and buy only the best quality specialty organic grade beans
- Aluminum bags are reusable and hence product lasts for longer
- Uses the Swiss water technology and hence is free from much chemical interaction.
- 3-layer natural kraft + foil resealable 1lb bag. Includes a one-way de-glassing valve to maintain freshness and aroma.
- Users complain of a funky smell
- Beans tend to be dry rather than being oily.
Summary
Comes in a 1lb bag for the coffee lovers that appreciate specialty-grade whole beans, well balanced taste/roast profiles and freshly roasted small batch quality. Find it here:
7. Peet’s Coffee decaf Dark Roast
The blend behind Peet’s coffee decaf mocca-java dark roast has a rich tradition bringing together the beans from Ethiopia the birthplace of coffee with their Javanese descendants, combined with rare mocca sourced from Arabia, this dark roast delivers serious flavors.
The coffee is decaffeinated using the water process yielding a discerning decaf that is well rounded, smooth and complex with chocolate induced flavors and just a touch of sweetness. This coffee comes free ground for quick and easy brewing.
Features:
- Roast level: French Roast ground coffee.
- World blend: A rich, ancient blend of Java and Ethiopian mocca make this a water
- process decaf for the discerning drinker.
- Flavor notes: big Body with baking spice and bittersweet chocolate.
- Obsessed with Fresh: From the beginning Peet’s coffee has the best coffee beans we can find with quality in mind.
- Light, medium and dark roasts: brew a pot of Peet’s ground or whole bean coffee in a blend and roast perfect for your tastes.
- Might have the best and the most diverse blends in the market.
- Water Process decaffeination, leaving a smooth texture and no bitter taste.
- Available in K-cups and is quite reasonable on the price end. (60 K-cups for $34)
- Most customers tend to complain about the packaging and delivery of expired products.
Summary
The final product while shipping weighs 4 ounces, in different levels of roasts. Light roast coffees are mild and smooth, medium roast coffees are smooth and aromatic while dark roast is smoky and full bodied.
6. Seattle’s Best Coffee Decaf Portside blend
If there is one department where the Seattle’s best coffee is undefeatable, then it is the price department. However, its low price is very easy to explain.
This decaf coffee is a blend that mixes different grades of 100% Arabica coffee beans in a bag. In short, one sacrifices quality for quantity in this purchase. However, not everything is bad as it still tastes quite decent.
Features:
- Beans Used: Seattle’s best coffee uses 100% arabica beans
- Roast level: Medium Roast Decaf portside blend is a medium roasted, decaffeinated coffee with a well-rounded and smooth flavor.
- Usage: Seattle’ best coffee recommends for a great cup is 5g of ground coffee for 180ml of water.
- Best when: For the finest taste, use cold, filtered water and store ground coffee in a cool, dark place.
- Each pack includes a 12-ounce bag of ground Seattle’s best coffee.
- Best decaf coffee in K-cups.
- Lower price and greater quantity
- Gas-valve packaging
- Very similar to Starbucks.
- Is not coffee-maker friendly.
Summary
Seattle’s Best Coffee Decaf Portside blend comes in 12 ounces. If one prefers quantity over quality, this just might be the best coffee.
5. No fun Jo Coffee Arabica Decaf Coffee
Jo is fair trade certified as well as USDA organic plus they are members of the specialty coffee association and they use the swiss water process to remove caffeine from the beans.
They are roasted to a medium-dark level and taste surprisingly good in espresso. However, Jo coffee doesn’t stick pure origin of the beans, as they claim to have no flavorings added, but the fruity cocoa elements are the natural components of the beans they use.
Features:
- Beans used: No fun Jo Coffee Arabica Decaf Coffee uses 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Roast level: Medium-dark roast.
- Professional cupping notes: sweet blueberry, milk chocolate, complex, full body, no flavor. Descriptive terms are simply subtle undertones in the coffee itself and no flavors are added. To get the most authentic JO’s select only, “Sold by Jo coffee and fulfilled by amazon”.
- Saves time: No fun Jo is also available in eco-friendly, single serve format for Keurig K-Cup brewers.
- No Fun Jo Decaf is available in eco-friendly, single serve format for Keurig K-cup Brewers.
- Is Swiss water Process certified and hence lesser chemical interaction.
- Is Kosher and USDA certifies.
- GMO free.
- Best decaf coffee for Keurig.
- Best decaf coffee beans in the market.
- Tends to come off as weak tasting, often has a powerful taste of chocolate.
Summary
No Fun Jo Decaf Coffee comes in 12oz with fair-trade ingredient type with no additives. Makes for a great cup of decaf.
4. Café Don Pablo Decaf Coffee
It proves with a less acidic flavor profile than other low safe brands. Whereas some beans can leave you with a bitter aftertaste, it is balanced with the smooth, well-rounded beans from Café Don Pablo.
It is worth noting that some drinkers find that it tastes more like a dark roast than medium roast. Although, the beans from this Colombian decaf are not fair-trade certified the company does have their own sharing certified program and works closely with farmers in Colombia.
Features
- Beans used: Don Pablo decaf Coffee uses 100% arabica beans.
- Roast level: Medium-dark roast whole bean Arabica coffee-GMO free.
- Method incorporated: All natural swiss water process decaffeinated Colombian Supremo.
- Flavors: Natural caramel and cocoa with a hint of citrus. Smooth, clean finish with low acidity.
- Prepared by: Artisan roasted in small batches for optimum freshness. For optimum freshness and quality, only purchase Don Pablo coffee from burke brand LLC.
- Known as the best tasting decaf coffee.
- Uses the swiss water decaffeination process, hence lesser chemical interaction.
- Very low acidity and GMO free.
- Is also available in light roast
- Tends to be really dark in taste.
- Does not have significant flavors.
Summary
Don Pablo decaf Coffee comes in a 2lb bag, is mild, sweet, rich and smooth with very low acidity. Well, it does taste like the real thing without the caffeine.
3. Starbucks Decaf Italian Roast Coffee
This is the Starbucks quintessential dark roast expertly crafted to bring out sweetness and intensity. It showcases the precision and skill of the roasters who created a coffee which is slightly darker than the espresso roast without the smokey edge of the French roast.
Making a great cup of coffee, it has a depth of flavor that holds its own whipped cream and sugar, that can create great tasting beverages with the single serve packets.
Features
- Bean used: Starbucks Decaf Italian Roast Coffee uses 100% Arabica beans, ethically sourced.
- Roast level: Slightly darker than the espresso roast, without the smoky edge of the French roast.
- Ground level: Starbucks decaf Italian roast is Micro ground.
- Usage: similar to the procedure of preparing instant coffee, just add hot water and stir.
- No coffee machine or grinder needed.
- Is instant coffee-fine ground, for immediate and hassle-free usage.
- Convenient packaging.
- Claims to be slightly darker than the espresso roast but is actually weak.
- Induces bit of an acid reflux.
- Lesser quantity in exchange for the price.
Summary
Starbucks decaf Italian roast comes in a packet of 50, and weighs 8.3 ounce. It is soluble and micro-ground Arabica coffee, makes for a lovely cup of coffee in an instant.
2. Kicking Horse Decaf coffee
This coffee is shaped by three important concepts which are fair-trade, organic and sustainable. All their coffees in all their forms have to fit within this very lofty goal.
This immediately sets Kicking horse apart from much of the specialty coffee industry. They do not require any K-cups or instant packets. The blend is central and south American coffee is fair- trade, USDA organic and Kosher certified.
Features:
- Beans Used: Kicking Horse uses 100% Arabica beans
- Roast level: The coffee beans are roasted to a dark level.
- Aroma: Deep Chocolate with a nutty complexity.
- Method incorporated: Dark roast, whole bean: Swiss water decaffeinated coffee should be exactly like every other one of their blends: deep, dark and delicious. Tip-Top taste with a mellow finish.
- Tasting notes, brew methods: roasted hazelnuts, chocolaty balanced body and long- lasting finish. Recommended methods: French press, drip machine, pour over, espresso and cold brew.
- Origin: Central and south America: Grown in a socially and environmentally responsible way, by farmers with sustainable businesses they can depend on.
- Organic: fair-trade, kosher, shade grown, arabica coffee: Coffee that is good and fair for the coffee drinkers, the farmers and the planet.
- Roasted in the Rocky-mountains: It’s all deep, dark and delicious, roasted right below the towering Canadian rocky mountain peaks.
- Uses the swiss water process and hence less chemical interaction.
- Low acid coffee beans and hence, lesser acid reflux in our bodies.
- Fair-trade, organic and sustainable.
- Lack of flavor, as it tastes bland.
- Bitter in taste.
Summary
The Kicking Horse decaf coffee is available in a 2.2lb , 10oz whole bean. And that is what it is, a tip-toe taste with a mellow finish.
1. Tim Horton’s Decaf Coffee
The signature flavor in every cup of Tim Hortons premium blend coffee is created using their own unique blend of 100% arabica beans selected from several of the world’s most renowned coffee growing regions.
The beans are expertly blended and roasted with care to deliver that consistent Tim Horton’s taste every time in a perfectly balanced medium bodied coffee with a smooth finish.
Features:
- Beans Used: Tim Horton’s uses 100% Arabica beans.
- Roast Level: The coffee beans are roasted to a medium level.
- Ground level: The coffee beans are finely grounded, giving it a smooth finish.
- Method used for decaffeination: The swiss water process is incorporated which reduces the chemical interactions.
- Usage: For use in automatic filter coffee makers. Ideal for most automatic coffee makers and for optimal freshness use within 2 weeks.
- Comes along as not too dark and bitter but smooth and creamy.
- The method incorporated for decaffeination reduces chemical interaction to a great extent.
- Fine grind adds to an instant cup of coffee anytime, anywhere.
- Only compatible with certain machines.
- Worthwhile to mention, some customers tend to complain about being it watery and weak.
Summary
Tim Horton’s Decaf is one of the best coffees out there with rich taste and aroma and a 12.8 ounces of shipping weight. Tim Horton’s 100% Arabica medium roast decaf ground coffee is the best instant decaf coffee, due it its smooth grind.
Buyer’s Guide to Select the Best Decaf Coffee
Buying the perfect cup of coffee with so many different brands to choose from can be excruciating. While each one of them promises the best for the customers, some might just not be the best buy for all the money in exchange. So here is how to know, if what you are buying is worth buying or not:
1. Simply buying the best:
Specialty coffee is distinguished and is of the foremost quality. The term ‘specialty coffee’ also denotes that some special attention has been paid to the processing and roasting of that coffee in comparison to instant coffee.
The specialty grade only uses the Arabica beans and that are grown in greater regions or ‘Grand crus’; Grand crus beans provide the ultimate flavors and the aroma every coffee lover longs for. So, the next time you buy coffee, do your due diligence of where your coffee beans were extracted from.
2. Where was your coffee grown?
The best coffee comes from beans grown at a higher altitude in semi-tropical areas of South America. These grades relate to Arabica or simply known as the ones that are grown in the mountains. The coffee that are grown in the plains is called Robusta.
Again, the latter group of coffee is also for the elite coffee lovers that receive full sun and matures quick, and hence the flavors grow quite robust. It is always advisable to check the origin of your coffee, which is listed in the packaging.
3. Look for the blends:
When buying Decaf, it is important to pay attention to the blends instead of one single source of origin. The blends that have a mix of beans from two or more regions would reduce to the complementary strengths and mask the deficiencies from the decaffeinating.
Since the process of decaf takes too many vital elements present away, the blends would counter balance and add to the taste of the coffee.
4. Method of decaffeination:
It is also vital to look for the method incorporated in the process of decaffeination. Both the swiss water process and the mountain water process do not allow for the caffeine to be reused by other industries.
However, both these methods are regarded as a pure way to decaffeinate coffee resulting in the highest quality of decaffeinated beans.
5. Level of Roast:
The extent of the roasting of the coffee beans do play a significant role, as dark or medium roast tend to have lesser caffeine while light roasts would significantly have more amount of caffeine.
Hence, going for decaf, dark or medium roast is the best way to go, as they even add to an additionally strong cup of freshly brewed coffee.
So, keeping in mind all the above points, one needs to take into account the origin and the process of preparation of the coffee. From the picking up of the coffee beans to pressing them, the whole procedure requires detailed care and selection.
Conclusion
Decaf is a great alternative for caffeine sensitive people, as it has little to no caffeine and has just the same nutritional benefits. Coffee is one of the healthiest beverages around the world that is loaded with antioxidants that lower the risks of serious health issues.
Decaf is a revolutionary way of consumption of coffee that is restricted for specific group of people. It can be variable from having different flavors to strong sense of taste. With the right choice of the best decaf brands, one can enjoy their freshly brewed cup of coffee anytime, anywhere.